Tired of anonymous hotels? Sick of chain restaurants? Want to broaden your understanding of the places you visit? Me, too. That’s why I’ve created this blog and its companion website, www.LaVidaLocal.com. Both point curious travellers to the many ways to explore a place beyond the traditional package tour--everything from house swap organizations to language immersion programs.

About Me

Laura’s first encounter with the written word was not auspicious: her birth announcement appeared in her hometown newspaper under the heading “Livestock for Sale.” Despite that embarrassing print debut, she decided to become a journalist, specializing in social history, retail and travel topics. She has created a website, LaVidaLocal.com, that delves into ways to live like a local while travelling. Her articles have appeared in more than 80 publications in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. She has also written 11 books. Dying to know more? (Really?) You can check out her personal website at LauraByrnePaquet.com.

Twitter Updates

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Looking for a studio in Midtown or a temporary pied-a-terre in the West Village? Try Roomorama.com, a new peer-to-peer service that helps travellers find short-term apartment rentals and spare rooms in New York City. Properties include a Williamsburg house owned by an actor who appeared in "The Departed," complete with its own Zen garden, for US$189/night.

There's a bit of everything here, from straight vacation rentals to requests for short-term roommates and sublet tenants, so you need to read carefully to make sure you're getting what you're looking for. And the interface needs a bit of work--for instance, when you move between pages, the screen goes unnervingly grey for a few moments. For all that, it looks like a useful new addition to the New York vacation rental scene.

The service, started by two New Yorkers who've rented out space in their own Lower East Side apartment in the past, plans to expand to Boston, Chicago and Toronto this fall.